Just returned from our holiday on board the Emerald.I wanted to write a review because these helped me before i went, along with the discussion forum. Everything about the ship is excellent. This is my first cruise so i do not have anything to compare it to. I had a thought in the past that it was only the elderly that went on cruises, how wrong was i!!! all age ranges, and quite a lot in their 40's like us. However i felt so comfortable with everything and should not have worried about anything. The dressing up for dinner was really nice, but as long as you looked smart it didnt matter what you wore.The other option for dining was the buffet. All the food options were really good and this all depends on your preference. Some people were complaining about everything, FOOD, TRIPS, WEATHER. The food was fantastic, if you do not like the choice you have made, then you can choose something else. Some of the trips were a bit pricey, but this is a good service for anyone who cannot make their own way, or you don't really know where to go. We went on a couple of not so good trips, maybe we chose the wrong ones, but that was not anyones fault. The best thomson trip we went on was the ISLANDS and VENICE. We went to Murano, this was where the glass factory was. Then to Burano, where you can buy Lace. this was a very pretty island with coloured houses and small canals running all the way through it. Then on to Venice, well what can you say!!!!!! A fantastic day all round, leaving with the feeling i wanted more. The price of the trip was £34.00 each, and worth every penny, compared to the other 2 trips we had been on.What a fantastic time it was leaving Venice down the Grand Canal on the ship!! AMAZING. The weather was not too good for the first 3 days, but we cannot blame THOMSONS.The rain on our first trip in Rovinj, had us all laughing on the boat trip down a FJORD we were wet through,thunder and lightening hahaha.We made our own way round in Split, a really lovely place.You didnt need to go on a trip as you were only a short walk there. The shopping, market, and the water front were amazing. I would love to come back to this area, it really is a lovely place. We made our own way into Dubrovnik. 10 Euros each way, but if you get another couple to share its even better value. We walked round the city wall, this only cost 5 Euros. It was fantastic. I was glad we did this as soon as we got there because it was getting too hot and crowded later on. I would definately return to Croatia a fantastic place, again when we left,. i left wanting more.We had not been to any of the places on the Adriatic Explorer, Venice, Split and Dubrovnik were fantastic and i will definately return. We were told that EUROS were not widely accepted in croatia, however we did not have a problem paying with Euros. The ship was spotless, the staff were fantastic. Our cabin steward was really nice and kept our cabin spotless the whole time. Our cabin was quite large and it was said that the Emerald had the largest cabins of any of the Thomson fleet, it felt more like a hotel room than a cabin. My only gripe is that there are no tea/coffee making facilities. I do have these my self, but i had read a previous review and it was said that these were not aloud. I never asked so i do not know the answer to that. Tea/coffee was available all day, and you could take it back to your cabin. I guess im lazy i didnt want to get dressed first thing in the morning, put makeup on, (or id have scared everyone enroute ) to bring tea/coffee back to the cabin while i enjoyed the view, BUT THATS ME. HAHAHA.We did tip certain people whom we felt treated us well, but this was at your own discretion.The entertainment staff were great and really put their all into it, the only problem was sometimes you couldnt get a seat to sit comfortable and enjoy it, dont think was due to the fact i had eaten that much at dinner i couldnt sit down, i needed to lay down. The entertainment in the Chanterelle dining room was fantastic and was a show its self. The waiters were fantastic and we were very pleased with the service we were given. The table we were allocated was for six, our company was fantastic.I could go on about the ship, food, people we met and places of interest forever, the main thing is, it was a fantastic experience on our first cruise. I know i would like to go on the Emerald again, because it was a lovely ship and the places visited are interesting. I would now like to try the other ships in the Thomson fleet.
Travel operator:
portland direct
Recommended